The History Of The Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3)

The Electronic Entertainment Expo, also known simply as E3, is the biggest and most important event in gaming each year. The world's biggest and best game developers and publishers show their latest products and software to roughly 50,000 hungry game journalists and reporters, chomping at the bit to see what's next.

Kidzworld has been live at the event 2 years in a row and can confirm, it is a glorious place to be. But how much do you know about E3?

Kidzworld Tours The Nintendo Booth (E3 2014)

How It Started

Before the Electronic Entertainment Expo, console manufacturers and software developers would attend the "Consumer Electronics Show" which is often referred to as CES. But that was not a positive experience.

The last Consumer Electronics Show the gaming industry attended (1993).Courtesy of The Verge

The CES organizers didn't deem the video game industry very important in the 90's. Giving the soon-to-be mega publishers and developers the cold shoulder.

Tom Kalinksi, CEO of Sega America said, "The CES organizers used to put the video games industry way, way in the back. In 1991 they put us in a tent, and you had to walk past all the adult-entertainment vendors to find us. That particular year it was pouring rain, and the rain leaked right over our new Genesis system. I was just furious with the way CES treated the video games industry, and I felt we were a more important industry than they were giving us credit for."

Archived Footage - CES 1993

After the appauling treatment at CES 1993. Many video game companies dropped out of CES the following year. It was a time for change. The video games industry was about to go boom and players in the industry knew they needed a dedicated event...

The Birth Of E3

The first E3 was put on by Infortainment World and the Digital Software Association (now known as the ESA) in 1995 and boy did it start with a bang. Sega was there and revealed the Sega Saturn was launching that year. Sony unveiled the original PlayStation to great applause and Nintendo started talking about the "Ultra 64" which was later renamed the Nintendo 64. Oh yeah, and Atari was their with the ill-fated Jaguar system. Watch some great archived footage of the first E3 below!

The First E3 (1995)

The event was a huge success. In fact, it was one of the largest trade show debuts ever. With a floor space of 700,000 square feet dedicated to video games and accessories. Over 49, 000 people attended over the course of a few days.

Today & Into The Future

E3 today is still a massive event, attended by thousands of industry professionals from all over the world. Before the booths open for hands-on play time with games. Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo and other big publisher's such as Ubisoft and EA hold media briefings (or in Nintendo's case, a digital event). Re-watch the Xbox One media briefing (2015) below - courtesy of IGN.

But it isn't all big executives talking big games either. All kinds of fun events take place during the days of E3. Last year, Nintendo brought back the NintendoWorld Championships! An epic video game competition for Nintendo fans. There are also fun promotional activities, like being able to fly an X-Wing!

Kidzworld's RedEyeGames flies an X-Wing!

The next E3 will be happening in June 2016 and you can bet Kidzworld will be there, capturing all kinds of great moments and stories to share with you all.

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